SXSWi Also Catering to Gaming Geeks

In conjunction with the Interative portion of SXSW this year, the festival coordinators will also be debuting the "ScreenBurn Beta Festival," billed as "the place to get your hands on upcoming video game releases, hear from industry insiders and indie developers on the edge, and see the future of game development firsthand." The combination trade show and expo will be held at the Austin Convention Center on Saturday, March 11th, and will feature E3-like displays of the latest video games, gaming systems, and hot new "game technology." And, best of all, it's free:

"We're very excited about the newest venture for SXSW Interactive," says SXSW Interactive Event Director Hugh Forrest. "It's going to give the Austin public [of all ages] who don't normally get to attend SXSW a chance to literally participate in the festivities by interacting with progressive gaming technology."